Davis Hoping For More To Come

Hopefully there are going to be more and more Academy scholars making it into the first team in the years to come"

David Davis

PUBLISHED

16:05 27th July 2012

Academy graduate has followed the path

David Davis is one of those who has made the long and challenging journey from Wolves Academy to first team.

And he believes there are more to follow, particularly with the club now landing Category One status as part of the Premier League’s Elite Player Performance Plan.

Davis was picked up by the Academy’s recruitment network at the age of 15.

Now, six years later, he has added to lower league experience out on loan with breaking into the Premier League ranks last season, and now bidding to follow that up by becoming a regular for Wolves in the npower Championship.

The likes of Davis, Anthony Forde and Danny Batth are all hoping for regular football this season, raising hopes of another Golden Generation of Academy scholars to rival the development of the group including Matt Murray, Joleon Lescott and Robbie Keane in years gone by.

“I was spotted playing for Tividale when I was 15,” says Davis.

“I was asked to Wolves for a trial and then another trial and ended up getting a year to try and impress before becoming a full time scholar.

“Fortunately I was then told in February that I’d got the full-time scholarship which was fantastic.

“It was a big difference going into the Academy full time and it becomes more like a job than just the fun which you had playing football as a youngster.

“You have to impress every day and do as well as you can because you want to become a professional footballer.

“I was fortunate to play a lot of games for the youth team in the two years and managed to do enough to get the pro contract.

“I also followed the education programme as well which is important and we all knew we had to apply ourselves in the education as well as the football.

“The staff at the Academy do everything they can for you and I think there is a good chance now of more players coming through.

“People may think there has been a lack of young players coming through since the days of people like Joleon Lescott but I think over the last couple of seasons it is starting to happen again.

“There is a good group who have come through and some good scholars as well who will benefit from the opportunities of getting Category One status.

“Hopefully there are going to be more and more Academy scholars making it into the first team in the years to come.”